The suspect was allegedly acting within the framework of what is known as “individual jihad,” seeking to acquire expertise in the manufacture of explosives with a view to carrying out attacks inside Morocco.
Moroccan security authorities are continuing their pre-emptive operations aimed at cutting off the roots of terrorism, as part of a firm strategy to confront threats to the kingdom’s security and stability.
Officers from the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ) on Saturday arrested a 31-year-old man in the northern city of M’diq on suspicion of preparing and planning a terrorist scheme intended to seriously undermine public safety and public order.
According to investigators, the suspect was allegedly acting within the framework of what is known as “individual jihad,” seeking to acquire expertise in the manufacture of explosives with a view to carrying out attacks inside Morocco.
Despite the decline in the territorial influence of traditional terrorist organisations and the collapse of many of their former strongholds, terrorism continues to pose a threat to the security and stability of states, including Morocco. Extremist groups have increasingly turned to alternative strategies based on “sleeper cells” and lone-actor attacks.
Morocco’s security approach is widely regarded as one of the most effective in combating extremism and terrorism targeting national security, given the kingdom’s sensitive geostrategic position and political stability. The scale of the threat is reflected in the results of preventive operations carried out by Moroccan security services in recent years, which have dismantled dozens of terrorist cells in their early stages before they could move to implementation.
Among the most recent cases was the dismantling in early April of a six-member extremist cell during coordinated operations in Kenitra, Casablanca, Dar El Gueddari in Sidi Kacem province, and Sidi Taibi.
Mohamed Chqir, a researcher specialising in security affairs, said terrorist cells have increasingly resorted to a variety of methods in recent years.
“Terrorist cells have recently turned to all available methods, whether through what are known as lone wolves, family-based cells spread across several Moroccan cities, as previously occurred around Casablanca, Had Soualem and Agadir, or even through the actions of isolated individuals,” he told local newspaper Hespress.
“The primary reason behind this pattern is the intensified monitoring and pursuit carried out by Moroccan security agencies, which has pushed these cells to operate with extreme secrecy in an effort to remain out of sight. This explains why they increasingly act individually and in very small numbers.”
He added that these trends also reflect a failure by extremist organisations to develop their methods.
“This is clearly evident when examining the digital content and internet activity seized from these individuals or from those involved in terrorist projects. It shows their inability to evolve their tactics, making their individual movements easier for security services to detect,” he said.
“These individuals are often driven by personal motives and a highly subjective outlook. Although they embrace extremist ideology, they generally operate independently when designing their plans and selecting their targets.”
Morocco’s success, he added, extends beyond safeguarding domestic security. The kingdom has become a key strategic partner in regional and international security frameworks through the sharing of precise intelligence with allied countries, helping to thwart numerous plots beyond its borders.
Morocco’s counterterrorism strategy also combines security measures with broader initiatives, including restructuring the religious sphere to promote moderation, launching development programmes to combat social exclusion and vulnerability and implementing ideological rehabilitation programmes within prisons, helping to provide long-term protection against radicalisation.
